One of drummer Tony Williams' final studio projects, this adventurous effort alternates selections by an all-star quintet (which includes tenor saxophonist Michael Brecker, guitarist Pat Metheny, pianist Herbie Hancock and bassist Stanley Clarke) with string orchestra tracks (usually using the rhythm section). Williams wrote most of the music (there is one song apiece from Metheny and Clarke), and despite the general unpredictability of the music (which ranges from melancholy to fiery), there is a surprising unity throughout the CD.

Since their foundation back in 1998, the English extremists Anaal Nathrakh have been one of the most brutal and visionary bands in the metal history, giving new life to black metal every time they create music. Even after 16 years of career, their thirst to unleash chaos and havoc through their malign music hasn’t been put to rest, and to prove it they will release the eighth full-length “Desideratum” in the end of October via Metal Blade Records.

Legendary bassist Stanley Clarke considers his upcoming Mack Avenue Records release, The Stanley Clarke Band’s UP, to be the most energetic, rhythmic and upbeat album that he has ever done—and with more than 40 solo albums under his belt, that’s saying quite a lot. Clarke’s signature bass virtuosity and technical acumen is present throughout, but the enjoyment he had in making this album is also apparent. Unlike his predominantly acoustic bass work on the last few albums, UP is almost equal parts electric and acoustic bass.

Beautiful and melodic "7" comes to find its place beside classic records of the so-called AOR/Melodic Rock scene and stand through the test of time as one of the best records of this particular genre. For the lovers of pure 80's AOR sound this is your album, period!

"Born in America" is the fifth studio album by American heavy metal band Riot, released in 1983. After getting dropped by Elektra Records the band signed with Canadian indie label Quality Records for what was to be the last record with Rhett Forrester on vocals. The album would also mark the end of the line for guitarist Rick Ventura, bassist Kip Leming, and drummer Sandy Slavin.

Carpark North is a Danish electronic rock band. The name "Carpark North" was created from the electro and rock genres: "Carpark" stands for car parks, edges, roughness, metal - the rock part, and "North" stands for northern lights, stars ethereal electronics.

The title My Standards does not mean that this CD is a play list of standard entries in the Great American Songbook. Rather, the standards are tunes that Karen Oberlin has listened to and adopted over the years, from Irving Berlin's to Elvis Costello's. Not only does the variety of music make this album refreshing, but so does the way it is presented. Oberlin's style leans to cabaret with a smattering of musical comedy. Yet she takes fascinating turns with the music within that framework…

Because Emilie-Claire Barlow is a female jazz singer from Canada, some American jazz enthusiasts have inevitably compared her to Canada's most famous jazz export: Diana Krall. But truth be told, Barlow doesn't sound anything like Krall. While Krall's performances have a sultry, dusky, very nocturnal quality, Barlow's singing has favored a youthful, girlish sweetness. That isn't to say that Barlow's bop-oriented work is unswinging — in fact, she has no problem tackling complex arrangements, high-speed scat singing, and vocalese. Besides, Barlow is from Toronto, not western Canada (where Krall grew up). Barlow has spent her entire life in Toronto, where she was born on June 6, 1976. Her father is jazz drummer Brian Barlow…

From Gil Evans to Youn Sun Nah through the ONJ where Lars Danielsson, this eclectic musician, "rhythmist" more than a drummer, played with all the cream of international jazz, without to mention many forays into pop, song, world music and his work as a composer of film music. Inventive percussionist, whom his peers nicknamed "the wizard" offers us in this first solo album music of the highest caliber, open and energetic, which has its place at the forefront of the current European jazz. Fed at school in Brazil, the Caribbean, Africa and the East, Xavier Desandre Navarre is a popular musician from the Scandinavian scene, his compositions are many games and tributes to live music and jazz in particular.

Named after the German poet Friedrich Schiller, the production duo of Schiller originally consisted of Mirko von Schlieffen and Christopher von Deylen. The two layered trance beats and spoken poetry, which resulted in a couple of trance chart-toppers in Europe in the late '90s and early 2000. Aside from the Schiller project, both von Schlieffen and Von Deylen have worked on outside projects. Zeitgeist marked the band's debut in 1999 (the album was not released in the United States until 2001).

The Millennium Bell is an attempt by Mike Oldfield to encapsulate 2,000 years of history with 11 slices of world music experimentation…